1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing audio in a mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing audio in a mobile terminal that controls recording and playback in the mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the significant development of information and communication technology and a semiconductor technology, the supply and use of all types of portable terminals have rapidly increased. In particular, recent portable terminals have developed to a convergence stage for use in portable terminals including traditionally separate fields. For example, the mobile terminal preferably includes a camera, a speaker, a microphone, and a broadcasting/receiving module such that recording, audio playback, and video playback may be performed. Further, the mobile terminal includes a process and the means for processing audio such that such recording and playback may be controlled.
However, the known process and apparatus in the related art for processing audio of the related art does not provide a function controlling the recording according to a surrounding environment. However, the related art provides a function allowing a user to control magnitude, namely, volume of a played voice. In general, a microphone of a mobile terminal has limits on controlling the performance when recording.
When various sounds are recorded in a situation using one microphone (i.e., a single microphone), it is difficult to control a strength of input sound, namely, sound pressure level (unit thereof is typically measured in decibels (dB)), and too high a level may cause distortion of the audio to be stored in the mobile terminal. The sound pressure level may be expressed, for example as a ratio of a level of sound pressure input to the microphone to an allowed maximum sound pressure. In other words, if the sound pressure input is equal to or greater than the maximum sound pressure allowed (i.e. a maximum pressure that can be received by the microphone without causing at least some distortion in the mobile terminal when the sound is recorded and/or the audio is played), distortion occurs due to saturation of sound pressure. In the case of distortion occurring, a tearing sound may be caused that is grating on ears when the audio is output. Furthermore, conventional methods and apparatus for processing audio do not provide a function of controlling display of the sound pressure status level of audio being played and/or recorded, so that a user cannot easily recognize a level of distortion of the audio being played and/or recorded. Typically, the user listens to the output voice and subjectively recognizes a sound pressure state.